Dougwar
by TheCheeseCat
Summary: When Doug Funnie is sent through the fabric of reality to a war torn world called Azeroth, it will take all the courage he can muster and the help of some unlikely friends in order for him to return to his own world. This is a terrible story.
1. Life is Hard Enough

**Author's Note:** This was one of those stories where a dumb dream happened and it looked good in my head at the time. I'm sorry I'm terrible. :(**  
**

* * *

**Chapter One**

**Life is Hard Enough**

Boy was it ever. Not only was it difficult being a teenager, but High School? That was a war in it's self. Doug had wished his sister had attended a normal school so he could have had some better preparation advice other then from his parents. Yet here he was, keeping up with the everyday life of a High School student. He wouldn't have made it far if it wasn't for the support of his friends. It also helped to have such a creative mind that he could write or draw his troubles away.

It wasn't so bad he guessed, it was a little like Middle School, only the classes were harder and there was a lot more going on. Doug had a handle on this, all it took was a little concentration, which he was lacking this morning on his walk to school. He had failed to notice Skeeter moving in from behind and nearly jumped when he placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Doug!" said Skeeter, smiling while he held his school bag over his shoulder.

"Skeeter!" Doug shouted, jumping as he snapped out of his thoughts.

"You alright? You seem a little excited." his friend replied.

"I'm alright." he sighed. "Just thinking about things, you know?"

"About the musical? You do have a big part in it."

"Right, I almost forgot." said Doug. He had told his parents about the musical and Judy had happened to overhear him. After hours of convincing him to try out for a part, he somehow managed to get the lead along with his long time crush Patti Mayonnaise.

"How did you even get the lead?" asked Skeeter, a little snicker in his voice.

"How should I know? I didn't think I was even that good of a singer." he said while giving a shrug.

"Well I'm sure you'll knock the audience dead! Hehe!"

"That's what I'm afraid of..." groaned Doug while he hung his head.

Skeeter laughed a little more, patting his friend on his shoulder. The rest of their walk to school was uneventful although the sky seemed to be darkening for a mid morning rain. Afraid of getting caught in the downpour, the boys broke into a run for the building of Bluffington High School. They made it inside just before the sky tore apart an rain fell to the earth. Each of them looked out the door while sheets of the water reduced the visibility outside.

"Well, that's a bummer." said Skeeter. The bell for class rang, cutting their conversation short before it even started. "See you after class Doug! HONK HONK!"

"See ya Skeeter." said Doug. He waved as his friend rushed off to class, wondering if he was ever going to grow out of making those sound effects at random.

* * *

The rain had never let up the rest of the day, lasting well into the time of the school musical. Dressed his best, Doug stared from behind the curtain as the audience was gathering into the auditorium. A few rows back he could see his family finding their seats, his mom and dad sitting down next to his sister Judy who was eager to see how her brother would perform in the arts. In the front row was Patti's father, settling his wheelchair in next to the chairs. The rest of the audience was made up of people he knew, parents and townsfolk that had come to see the annual musical.

Doug didn't realize how many people would be attending and gave a small gulp as he backed away from the curtain. What if he forgot his lines? What if he messed up? What if he embarrassed Patti? He backed away and covered his face, his confidence slipping quickly while his mind was conjuring up all the possibilities of his failures.

"Five minutes!" shouted his music teacher. His heart began to race, he frowning as he looked around.

"Hey ya Funnie." came from a familiar voice he really didn't want to hear right now.

"What do you want Roger?" Doug groaned, dragging his hand down his face.

"Oh nothing really, just wanted to wish you luck and to tell you not to blow it in front of that big audience." he said with a smirk. Doug stared at him, not really feeling the impact of of his statement until he remembered the amount of people in the auditorium and that it was still growing. His face went pale and Roger's laughter erupted until it was cut short when he was shoved aside.

"Look out Roger. Is all you do is stand around like an idiot?" said Beebe, sticking her nose in the air as she walked past them.

"You shut your mouth Bluff!" shouted Roger, rushing after her to give her a piece of his mind.

Doug watched him go before he turned to leave. He was stopped however when he saw Patti walking towards him. Wearing a beautiful gown, she looked like an angel, something that was out of his reach. She said something to him, he couldn't understand it however due to his daydream of her. She waved and walked to the backstage to get ready to go on. He wished he had heard what she said once he finally snapped back to attention.

"One minute!" called the teacher. His eyes went wide and again the color left his face.

"I can't do this..." he said. He rushed to the back door, throwing it open to the parking lot and rushing out into the rain. If running out a minute before the show didn't embarrass him, returning would most definitely.

Trying to take some cover from the rain, he moved under the small awning by the door. Had his self confidence really not improved since Middle School? He felt terrible and the rain wasn't helping that mood. The sky seemed to laugh at him as lightning cracked across the sky and thunder rolled. Doug stared up at it's mocking, frowning hard. He just wanted to go home, or somewhere, anywhere from here.

He closed his eyes, sliding down the wall. Maybe after a small breather he could get enough confidence to go inside. Nodding to his self statement, he decided that was all he needed. Maybe it wasn't what someone else needed though. He didn't notice it before, something huddling under one of the cars under the lamp post. It was small and looked a terrible mess even from where he stood. Perhaps it was a dog? Did Porkchop get caught in the rain?

Doug moved into the rain, slowly walking to the car to not startle the creature under it. He didn't care if he was getting wet, right now there was something that needed his help. When he got to the car he began to crouch low, trying to look under the vehicle to see what was under it.

"Come on out little guy. I won't hurt you." he said in a soft voice. A growl was the only response he got, but it didn't stop him from still trying to help it out. "You don't have to be afraid, I'll take you inside out of the rain."

Reaching under the car, the teen wasn't expecting the animal to jump out at him. A cat spat at him and swiped at his hand with it's claws, causing him to yelp and jump back. The moment he jumped back lightning struck from the sky again. His back hit the metal of the lamp post as the electricity struck it, sending his body into a shock while the light above him burst. Everything went white as sparks fell down from the shattered glass, it was all that remained of the place where Doug once was.

* * *

Rain pelted the charred ground of the battlefield, though it didn't mask the sounds of a fight. Metal clashed against metal as two figures were locked in combat. A larger figure fought against one that was half it's size, but was still putting up a fight. The larger combatant looked more beast like, a bull that wore armor an walked on two legs, he was fighting a human who wore armor as well.

"I've had enough of this!" shouted the human, shoving the larger beast back with amazing strength.

"You started this fight Human! Now we shall finish it!" roared the bull.

"Oh, it is finished." the human said with a smirk. The bull looked at him, holding his large axe with both hands. What did he mean by that?

He grit his teeth and rose his axe to strike the man down, but his eyes went wide as a sudden sharp pain went through his back. He looked over his shoulder to see a smirking human looking up at him, pulling the daggers from his back. His head quickly turned towards the human in front of him as the other vanished, not prepared for the foot to slam into his waist and kick him back.

"This is the death you deserve, Horde scum!" shouted the man as the bull stumbled back towards the cliff that hovered over the large lake. He tumbled off the edge, falling down into the water with a large splash that sent waves against the shore far off. Lightning cracked through the sky as the soldier of the Alliance walked away from his battle once he was sure his target was killed. The flash of light was no concern to him, there were bigger things to fight in Hyjal right now then a Tauren who got in his way.

Bubbles rose to the surface of the water, few at first but then at an alarming rate. Something broke the surface, gasping out and flailing in the water before remembering how to swim. The teen coughed, swimming towards the shore of the lake and crawling onto the ground and gasping for breath. His eyes darted around, trying to figure out his surroundings through the rain. What exactly just happened?

"What's going on? This isn't Bluffington..." said the boy. He squinted his eyes to the water, getting just a glimpse of something sinking below the surface. It looked like a hand reaching up. "Oh no!"

Doug didn't even think, he dove into the water, swimming as fast as he could and diving under the water to grab hold of the outstretched hand. It was extremely hard to pull them back to the surface, for some reason the person he was helping weighed a ton almost, but the weightlessness of the water didn't make it impossible. He manged to get them both back to the shore, he coming out first and pulling hard on the hand to get them at least half way out of the water.

Standing back to assess the situation, Doug first looked at who he had just saved. Horns, hooves, fur all over and a tail. It looked like a Minotaur from myths and stories, so that would explain the weight and armor. Now that he kinda knew what it was, he was afraid to touch it. Was it still alive? Was it going to hurt him if he was to get any closer? He didn't know what to do even if it was alive. He decided to give it a shot, slowly coming to a full stand and walking to the creature's side.

Blood was starting to soak the ground where the creature laid, this alarming Doug to where he went into a mode of not thinking again and began to try and find ways to remove the armor. He was no expert on first aid, but he knew enough basic skill to where he could maybe save this thing's life. The armor was complicated but by searching over it enough he found that it was held together by clips and snaps. He cautiously moved over the body, unsnapping the restraints an struggling with the weight of the armor to pull it off.

There were two stab wounds to his back, Doug couldn't tell the severity of it but if they were still bleeding then they were probably pretty deep. The young teen stood there, staring down at the beast while he tried to figure out what to do. From the movies he watched he could remember that when someone was injured, they would always cover the wound with a tied cloth. The only thing was he didn't have any cloth … or did he? Doug looked down at his tuxedo jacket, that was cloth, right?

"Okay, I got this..." he said, quickly pulling off the jacket. "This is what Quailman would do."

He confirmed himself with a nod and took hold of the sleeve of his jacket. He pulled, trying to rip parts of it off but it was doing nothing. Doug stopped pulling, looking down at the coat and pulling the arm again. Still nothing. Well … he was pretty big, maybe it was better if he just used the entire coat. He climbed over his body, trying to wrap his jacket over the wounds. He tied the arms together around his waist to hold it in place and now just stood there, staring down at the haphazard job he did.

"Well, it's better then nothing..." said Doug with a sigh. He was relieved that the rain had stopped, but now the both of them were soaked to the bone. Doug leaned down checking to make sure that his patient was still breathing. It was faint, but he felt a pulse when he placed his fingers on what he thought was his wrist and had shaky breathing. He was no doctor, but he liked to think he did something good.

"I'm … gonna look around, you stay here, alright?" he asked the Tauren on the ground. He wasn't really expecting him to answer so he slumped his shoulders, moving away from him in order to look around.

Doug moved to venture a little farther from the place he had woken up from, leaving the Minotaur creature by himself. A pair of eyes followed the boy as he walked off, making sure he was far enough away before revealing themselves from the bush. Slowly and silently a large tan colored feline moved from the foliage, creeping towards the Tauren resting on the shore. Guilt riddled the cat's face as it stopped beside him, placing a paw on his chest.

"Oh what have I done? Look at you, I shouldn't have left you alone." the cat spoke, voice deep but feminine. She laid herself over the body, letting her ear rest on his chest to hear if he was still breathing.

"You're late, Swiftclaw." spoke the Tauren, looking at the cat with one eye open. Caught off guard, the feline shot up, eyes wide.

"Muno?" Swiftclaw stared at him, feeling around on his chest with her paws.

"Less talking, more healing alright?" Muno coughed out. "This bandage isn't doing much … despite good intentions."

Swiftclaw looked down at the tuxedo jacket tied around his waist. What an odd wrapping job and dressing. The cat sat back, body shifting, forming into her original form of the female Tauren. She held her hands out over the wound once she removed the jacket, letting the magic of nature wash over the wounds and slowly starting to reverse the damage.

"I'm so sorry I let this happen." Swiftclaw frowned as she worked. "If I just stayed with you..."

"Aminaska, it is not your fault. The Alliance are becoming too competitive. I shouldn't have said anything when I did." said Muno, trying to sooth his ally.

"Still..." Her head lowered as she finished the healing process. He would still be sore but his wounds were cleaned and closed. She sat back, shifting back into her feline form where she sat back on her haunches next to him. Her ears were folded back while that look of guilt once again spread over her face.

"Okay mister Minotaur, I don't know where we are exactly, but I think we're okay if we stay here." Doug called out as he was returning from his small wandering. He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the large tan cat sitting next to his self appointed friend. She stared back at him before growling low and sitting up, lowering her body to the ground.

"Alliance pig! Come back to finish him?" Swiftclaw roared out, jumping and soaring over Muno's body towards the small teenage boy.

"What?" Doug cried out. His reaction time wasn't as fast as he wanted it, and in mid turn he was tackled to the ground under the weight of the beast, her claws sinking into his shoulders. The pain was something he had never felt, he had been scratched by cats before but this felt like many small knives stabbing into his skin.

Doug wailed out in pain, trying not to squirm lest he make the claws dig deeper. And just like that it was over. He felt the cat release him, growling and stepping back at the command of a deep voice. He didn't dare look over his shoulder, but curiosity got the better of him. The cat was backing away while the large Minotaur was standing. She walked to his side, sitting obediently next to him but glaring as if she was confused at his command.

"I do not think this one is a threat, Swiftclaw." Muno grunted, patting her on the head.

"He is a human Muno, they are all a threat." she hissed in return. Doug just stared between them, still laying on the ground. Did that cat just talk?

"If he were a threat, he wouldn't have saved my life. What is your name, young one?"

He wasn't sure if he was going to answer, since when were humans a threat? It was a dumb question to ask since he was talking to a talking cow and cat. "I-It's Doug Funnie sir..."

"An interesting surname." said the Tauren, smiling. "I believe it was you who pulled me from the lake and tried to treat my wounds."

"Poorly." added Swiftclaw with a snort. Doug frowned and pushed himself up to a stand, whimpering from the wounds on his shoulders. Stained with blood, the white dress shirt of his suit wouldn't be much use to him after this mess.

"I didn't have much to work with! I don't even know how I got here!" he said, dusting himself off and wincing softly. "Where am I?"

"Mount Hyjal. On the shore of Ashen Lake to be precise." Muno spoke in a soft grumble.

"Mount Hyjal? I don't remember learning about this place in Geography." said Doug, taking another look around. The area was odd to explain, a majority of the forest area was re-grown, but a lot of the land still was charred like it had suffered in a forest fire. Not far from where they were was a small shrine looking construction. White in color, a large statue of a stag towered over a shallow pool of water. Why didn't he notice that when he went walking off?

"Do you two know where Bluffington is? I need to get back to school for my musical." he asked, turning his attention back to the two Tauren.

"Bluffington? Is that some code for Thunder Bluff? What would a human want there?" asked Muno.

"Inside job Muno, I told you he's not to be trusted!" Swiftclaw hissed again, growling and baring her teeth at Doug enough to cause him to trip backwards.

"Aminaska relax. Jumping to conclusion will not get any of us anywhere." said the male. "Come with us to the Sanctuary of Malorne, it will be safe to get things sorted out from there."

"Sanctuary of what?" said Doug, not wanting to make anymore mistakes or risk being killed by the talking cat. Swiftclaw moved with Muno as he walked, when the boy made no motion to follow she turned, walking around behind him and hooking her horns on his shirt to push him along with force. When he still wouldn't budge her form shifted into a large bear, hurling the young boy onto her back and walking behind her comrade.

It was a short walk but long enough to strike a small conversation. Doug watched them as they walked, hanging onto the great bear's horns while she reluctantly let him ride on her back.

"So, what exactly are you two? I've never seen Minotaur, let alone a cat that can turn into a bear."

"What kind of human doesn't know what a Tauren is?" growled Swiftclaw.

"We are Tauren young one, Shu'halo, children of the Earth Mother." said Muno, a smile on his snout as he spoke with pride of his people.

"Shu'halo..." Doug repeated, looking down at the top of Swiftclaw's head while she walked. He wondered if he was just stuck in one of his many daydreams, though he was certain he couldn't make up the stuff that was going on right now. If this was one of his daydreams, he would have known everything about it. "Wait, you said 'we'?"

"Swiftclaw is a Druid, a shapeshifter and a being of nature." Muno continued. "She is one of the Tauren when she is not taking on her animal forms. I myself am but a simple warrior, strength and brawn are my strong suits."

"Why are you talking to him so freely?" growled the bear. Doug went to open his mouth but she thrust her head up, knocking his jaw shut so quick he bit his tongue.

"Don't you see? He is not from here if he as no idea who we are."

"Maybe we should ask him more questions, see if he's lying..." Swiftclaw glared up.

"I'm right here still, you know." Doug muttered, sticking his tongue out and going cross-eyed to try and see if it was bleeding or not. As they arrived at the sanctuary Swiftclaw was quick to toss Doug off her back, letting him hit the ground while her form shifted to her smaller cat form. Slowly the teen pushed himself up, cringing from the lingering pain of his claw wounds. He had only been here ten minutes and already he had been dumped into a lake, attacked by a mountain lion with horns, tongue bitten, and now simply thrown on the ground.

Doug looked up as the cat now sat across from him, staring at him hard while her eyes squinted. He looked back at her in return, unsure of how to even go about talking to a cat that could talk back. Sure he talked to Porkchop all the time, but he never got a verbal, understood answer out of the dog. He either wrote things down or acted them out.

"Who's side are you on, Alliance or Horde?" said Swiftclaw.

"Who?" asked Doug, looking taken back by the question.

"Answer the question!"

"What's the difference?"

"The Alliance is made up of a joining of many races, Humans, Night Elves, Dwarves and Gnomes, Draenei and Worgen." explained Muno. "The Horde are made up of the Tauren, Orcs, Forsaken, Trolls and Blood Elves along with Goblins."

"So what side are you on?" growled the cat.

"Um, neither. I don't know anything about them..." the boy answered honestly. Swiftclaw folded her ears back, narrowing her eyes in a kind of look that told him she was having a hard time believing him, but reluctantly accepted his answer.

"Where do you live?" she asked the next question.

"Bluffington." this question he answered with confidence.

"There's no place like that here!" Swiftclaw roared. Muno sighed, clapping a plate covered hand on top of the cat's head. She continued to growl but remained silent on speaking terms as he glared down at her.

"Don't you see the obvious signs? It sounds as if he is not even from Azeroth."

"Azeroth? Wheres that?" asked Doug, looking dumbfounded.

Swiftclaw smacked her paw over her face. "You're standing on it."

"I thought we were in a place called Hyjal."

"Azeroth is the PLANET."

"Well, now we know for sure he's not from here." sighed Muno. "Some kind of case of displacement across worlds..."

"So he's just a Draenei like human." growled Swiftclaw. "More reason to just kill him now."

Doug grimaced at the cat's words, backing away from her and moving closer to Muno. At least he sounded like he was on his side more then Swiftclaw was. "I'm not even on Earth anymore?"

"It does seem like a lot to take in all at once. I'm surprised you're holding up so- … well." Muno began to speak, but stopped towards the end of his sentence when he looked at his side at the teen boy. Doug sunk to his knees, looking as if he was staring off into space to the point where he looked statue like.

This could be a grand adventure like he would write and draw for his comics, or he could be stuck in this world for the rest of his life because he had no idea how to get back home. If he was lucky this might be just a coma induced dream and everything would be alright if he woke up. That was the problem though, _if _he woke up. This all felt too real to be a dream, the pain, the dampness of his clothes, everything around him he could feel.

"Pfft, already he's falling apart and he hasn't even seen the true face of this place yet." scoffed Swiftclaw.

"What do you mean?" At the mention of something more sinister then the situation he was already in, Doug turned his attention to the cat.

"Oh?" she snickered. Standing up she shifted to her normal form. Already towering over him, she smacked a large hand on his back, sending him forward and pushing him along to walk over towards the edge of the area. "Look out there, what do you see?"

He stared hard through the charred tree stumps and regrowth, flames flickering off the burning wood. "Nothing."

"Look closer."

Doug looked ahead farther by squinting his eyes. Sudden shock and realization came to him as he saw what she had been trying to show him. The flicking flames in the distance were not flames at all. They moved on their own, encased in skeletal bodies that drifted along, setting fire to already burning timber. Among them moved large snake like beings, slithering along the ground and holding large burning staves. They gathered in groups, forming large molten spheres through concentrating burning beams of pure fire.

Startled by what he had seen, Doug stumbled backwards, landing on his rear in the horror of what was out there. "W-What are those?"

"Invaders from the Firelands." said Muno, coming up beside him. "They come to Hyjal, to the plane of Azeroth to burn this world. Their time has come and gone, but they still linger in this world, trying to accomplish what their master wished."

"See? This isn't all flowers and sunshine 'Funnie.'" said Swiftclaw, no longer needing to be in her normal form, she shifted back to cat once more.

He turned to look between both of them, hands shaking, starting to sweat. Now this was something to be overwhelmed about. His eyes wide, all he could do was scream at the top of his lungs before passing out at the Tauren's feet.


	2. Forming a Plan

**Author's Note:** Yes, this thing is still alive.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**Forming a Plan**

Well, that was a terrible nightmare. Time to wake up and be soaking wet in a parking lot. Any time now... Doug was reluctant to open his eyes, but when he did he was relieved to find his surroundings different. He didn't seem to be outside, but in a really purple decorated room. He sat up to find himself sitting on a four poster bed, the wood that made the frame seemed to have purple it's natural color. Someone really liked purple. Was he finally back home? The room seemed different then the normal architecture of the buildings in Bluffington.

Instead of walls paneled it was like the entire room had been carved from a tree. Around him was elaborate furniture, magical objects that would hum and glow with power. Well, that settled it. He certainly wasn't home yet. Doug groaned, laying back onto the bed with his arms and legs spread. What was it going to take to get himself back home? He had no idea where to start. His eyes traveled around the room one last time, settling on a large brown bird sitting on the dresser across the room.

Startled, he jumped clear out of the bed, the thing was huge and he was sure if it opened it's wings it would take up half the room. Some odd reaction to being watched, he used the covers of the bed to cover his body, staring helplessly back at the oversized avian.

"Would you relax? You act like I saw you without clothing." the bird remarked. Doug recoiled, holding the covers against him more. He shouldn't have been so surprised of all the talking animals in this world, he just wasn't used to them yet. However the bird's voice sounded like someone he heard.

"Aminask-" he began to speak, but snapped his lips shut when the bird opened her wings and darted across the room to him, using her talons to hold his mouth shut.

"Swiftclaw to you, go that? Swift. Claw." she said, forehead touching his while she stared him dead in the eyes. Doug nodded his head, it was the only thing he could do until she decided to release his lips. When she let go she propelled herself away from him, folding her wings at her side once she perched on one of the bed posts.

"You can turn into birds too?" asked Doug. Merely curious, he hoped his question wouldn't be answered with more pain or yelling.

"BIRD. One bird, this one." Swiftclaw held out her wings. "And before you ask I can turn into other things too like a seal and another cat."

"That's … really interesting." the boy replied. "So … why are you in here?"

The bird let out a dramatic sigh like his questions were becoming a burden on her very soul. "Muno asked me to keep an eye on you. I carried you here, might as well stare at you while you sleep."

"Wait what?"

"Again before you ask, you're now at the Shrine of Aviana, a sacred place so watch your tongue." Swiftclaw finally removed herself from her perch, jumping down to the floor as she transformed to a cat mid fall. Doug felt a little uncomfortable with the fact that she could already predict what he was going to ask and answer before he even came to think of it.

"Um, Wheres Muno?" he asked, lowering the blankets he still held up to him onto the bed beside him.

"He had other business to attend to. Don't you worry though, big sister Swiftclaw is going to make sure nothing happens." said the cat, giving him a toothy grin. The boy swallowed hard, slowly climbing back onto the bed. "Oh stop I'm not going to hurt you!"

"Hard to believe when you keep talking like that!" he snapped.

"I CAN'T hurt you even if I really wanted to. Muno would never forgive me." said Swiftclaw. She rolled her eyes, laying down on the floor as she crossed her paws over one another. "So yeah, you're not getting any physical abuse from me today."

"Well that's a relief. I guess." said Doug, uncertain of how to even talk to her. Once he was sure he wasn't going to be attacked he slowly let himself down onto the floor. There was just an awkward silence between them now, but it was momentarily broke by the grumbling of his stomach. In defense he looked down, placing his hands over his stomach to try and silence it.

"Hungry?" was all that Swiftclaw said. He looked up to her, frowning like he had done something wrong. "Come with me."

The large cat stood, motioning with her head for Doug to follow her. Hesitant at first, he took only a few steps forward. When she began moving without him, he quickly rushed to catch up with her. Swiftclaw moved through the large tree building, going down stairs and ramps until Doug was sure they had reached the bottom. An open room to the outside, the boy was amazed to see the scene outside. It was unlike the place he had come from, instead of burning wood and the smell of it, this place was green, the sky blue and it smelled fresh. Several birds flew through the sky and around the tree they were in, it was truly a sight to see.

Doug lowered his eyes from the sky to see who else was here. Standing among themselves, some being guards, he could see more of the Tauren race and another who he had not encountered yet. Their skin was shades of greens and purples, long ears stuck out to behind their heads. Their eyes seemed to glow white or a soft gold color. Doug could only guess they were one of the race of elves Muno had mentioned before.

"Stay here, I'll be back." said Swiftclaw over her shoulder. He gave a silent nod, watching as she shifted into the large bird once more and took off into the sky. He watched until she was just a dot among the sky before standing back a few feet. The pain in Doug's shoulders had almost vanished completely, but still held a dull sensation. His hand reached to rub his shoulder, catching the eye of one of the elves standing around.

"Are you alright?" asked a tall, slender elf as she moved towards him. The garments she wore were complex, earthy colors with designs that Doug had no idea the meaning of. While she towered over him like a giant, he wasn't intimidated by her. Her voice was kind and gentle, he knew he wasn't in any harm here.

"I'm okay." he said, lowering his arms to his sides.

"Let me look at your wounds." she insisted. Before he had time to protest she was already pulling the dress shirt up over his head. He flailed a little, blushing brightly once he stood shirt-less. He couldn't find enough arms to cover himself. His wounds had not healed and the skin around them had become purple and yellow, bruise and infection had taken over in the time it was untreated.

"Oh … this is pretty bad." said the elf.

"Hows it look?" Doug asked, trying to glance over his shoulder.

The elf didn't say anything in return, instead picking him up and holding him over her shoulder. She sat him down in a chair, moving behind him and cracking her knuckles. This was going to take a lot of focus. She took in a deep breath and let her hands rest on his shoulders. They covered the entirety of them, leaving no skin to show underneath. Doug wasn't sure what exactly she was doing but he didn't want to make any more problems. He sat still and waited for whatever was to come.

Her eyes closed and through the concentration she began to focus her power into healing. Soft green magic poured from her palms, slithering across his skin like snakes and into the wounds on his shoulders. It was nothing like Doug had ever felt before, an odd sensation he couldn't accurately describe. It felt like cool rain washing over his shoulders, the pain and infection being pulled from the wounds and the flesh mending together like nothing had ever happened. When she was finished she released him, letting him up and handing him his shirt.

"T-Thanks." said Doug. He gulped his words, putting his arms into the sleeves of the shirt.

"You are welcome." said the elf with another smile. "Do you need anything else?"

"Oh, no my friend is coming back soon." he answered in an uncertain tone. Swiftclaw was definitely far from his friend. He was sure that if it wasn't for Muno's protection she would have already left him for dead somewhere. The elf nodded at him, bidding him well and returned to her post, leaving Doug to his own devices. He wasn't sure what to do now since Swiftclaw had told him to not do anything disrespectful here. What exactly was disrespectful though?

After an hour of waiting Doug had moved to sit at a table, watching a candle burn magically while it never seemed to melt the wax around it. What he wouldn't give for a TV or a radio or something from the modern world to pass the time. His stomach had been growling at him louder the longer it took, so he was relieved when the large brown bird finally showed and came swooping into the open tree. Swiftclaw landed on the table, dropping a leather skin of water and something wrapped in a cloth.

"Sorry, took longer then I thought." she squawked, taking on the role of a bird a little more seriously then needed. Doug stared at her then down at the items she had given him, slowly reaching for the wrapped item and pulling the cloth around it apart. He was presented with a hunk of meat, thankfully cooked but it was something he had never seen before. Doug used his finger to poke at it before looking around for something to eat it with. Nothing here but his own hands, guess it was finger food.

He grabbed the meat with both hands, looking it over and trying to find the right angle to eat it at. It didn't really matter what side, so he just took a bite. It was surprisingly pleasant to taste, a little chewy but whoever made it did a great job on the seasoning.

"This is pretty good, what is it?" Doug asked between bites.

"Grilled Dragon."

Doug froze, dropping his meal on the cloth before him and staring into space. What did she just say? "Dragon?"

"Yes? Do you not like it?" she said with a sarcastic tone.

"I-I've just … never had it. There are dragons here?"

Swiftclaw tilted her head, looking back at him before jumping onto the table and shifting to her cat form. The table wobbled under the sudden weight change, making Doug scramble to hold onto his questionable meal.

"Oh yes, big dragons." the cat purred. "You know that master that Muno spoke of? The one the Firelands invaders listened to? Big. Black. Dragon."

"What?"

"Went by the name of Deathwing he did, bigger then this entire shrine. He was going to destroy the entire whole of Azeroth."

Doug gulped, looking around the shrine trying to compare the size of the dragon she described. "Is there more of them? Like him?"

"There are hundreds of dragons! No so much of the black dragonflight but the other flights are out there." said Swiftclaw, smirking as she wiggled her toes on her front paw so her claws popped out. The young teen recoiled, pushing the hunk of dragon meat away from him. The large cat smirked, teeth bared and giving her a terrifying look.

"And no one knows if and when another one of those dragon will go off the deep end again!" she roared out, causing Doug to scream and fall back off of his seat. Swiftclaw laughed, but it was quickly interrupted when a clearing throat stopped her outburst. The cat turned, looking to see Muno standing in the doorway. His disapproving look caused her shoulders to slump, she backing away from Doug like she was a child scolded for poor behavior.

The large Tauren moved to Doug, reaching his hand out to him which the boy gratefully took. With ease he was lifted to his feet, though he still looked a little disheveled from what Swiftclaw had put him through. When the boy finally got a firm standing Muno turned his attention back to the cat who was over the punishment and was sitting, staring up at him from the floor.

"There is no reason to be frightening him." spoke Muno in his usual deep tone.

"I didn't do anything, I was just telling him about the dragons." muttered Swiftclaw, leaning herself back against the table and crossing her arms. It did look rather amusing since she was still in her cat form.

Now that that was out of the way, Muno could relay the message he had been gone most of the day obtaining. He cleared his throat once more, adjusting his shoulders by shrugging them a bit. "Well, we have some excellent news and some terrible news. Which would you like first?"

"Terrible news!" spouted the cat.

"Um, the good news first..." said Doug, glaring over at Swiftclaw in the same way he would have done to his own sister.

"Good news is that we can probably get you home."

"Really?" he shouted, his excitement was almost too much to handle. Even if this was all a dream, some kind of outlet meant hope of returning to his conscious life. "Oh, this is great!"

"Bad news is, it will take about a month."

At once Doug froze from his small dance of excitement. "What?" he gasped, shoulders slumping in defeat. He didn't even get off the ground before his hope was shot down.

Muno cleared his throat as Swiftclaw rolled around on her back in a fit of laughter. "On my errand I made my way to Ogrimmar. The Goblins of the city told me they could build something that might get you back home, but it would take time and money."

"Good, maybe he'll get blown up when he uses it." said Swiftclaw with a smirk. Both Doug and Muno shot a glare at her, but she seemed more effected by her companions look rather then the young boy.

"We can't take him to Ogrimmar, he would be killed on sight and we might be as well." the warrior said. "We need to find a safe place for him to stay until the construction is complete."

Both Tauren sat, thinking of an alternative place to keep Doug until he could return to his own world. Swiftclaw didn't dwell on it long, she didn't care, why bother to think on it longer. Muno on the other hand looked deep in thought, mulling over the possibilities until he looked up and glanced between the cat and the boy. Neither one of them would be happy, but this was all they had at the moment.

"Swiftclaw, he needs to stay with you."

"WHAT?" both of them rang out.

"My home is too close to the cities, he would be spotted there." sighed Muno.

"Aww … no come on Muno! He might attack me in my sleep!"

"I think it's the other way around!" snapped Doug. Swiftclaw turned to argue with him, both of them shouting at each other until they were silenced by Muno.

"That is ENOUGH!" he roared out. "Aminaska, just this once, you need to have some trust in someone other than me, okay?"

The cat stared at him for a long time, trying to come to terms with his request. After what seemed like hours of silence her form shifted, the giant brown bird now in place of the cat. "I'm not feeding him."

"I don't want you to feed me, you might give me more dragon meat!" shouted Doug. He was met with a mess of feathers in his face as Swiftclaw backhanded him with her wing, glaring over her shoulder at him.

"I knew that you would have to fend for yourself if she took you in, can you catch your own food?" asked Muno.

"Catch my own food?" said Doug. Trying to picture it in his head, he imagined himself running around trying to chase down a rabbit or catch some kind of bird. If he would succeed, he would have to … well he didn't really want to think about that right now. "I know how to fish..."

"Wonderful, you'll do fine then." said the large Tauren.

"Alright we're going."

"Huh? WUH?" Doug gasped as he felt the talons of Swiftclaw grasp at his shoulders. She was already on top of him as she spoke and he was unprepared when he felt himself lifted into the air. Flapping her great wings, Swiftclaw took off into the air, holding Doug with her feet. The young boy was terrified as he was taken higher up, his helpless screams falling on deaf ears until the bird glared down him while he struggled.

"What is wrong with you?" she squawked at him, gripping onto him tighter.

"You're hurting me!" he spoke, holding onto her legs in case he fell. "We're too high up!"

Swiftclaw sighed, eyes rolling before her talons opened, releasing him from her grip. Unprepared once more, his hands slipped from her legs and he began plummeting through the air towards the ground. Doug shrieked, reaching up to the sky for something to hold onto. He was for sure thinking he was going to die before the air under him began to lift him up. The soft feel of feathers under his skin did little to comfort him, his head looking down to see he was now on Swiftclaw's back as she flew up higher once more.

She had dropped him and let him fall in enough time to swoop and catch him on her back. At least this way he wouldn't be crying the entire flight to her home. She would even tolerate the shaking and his arms wrapping around her neck as he held on for his life. While Swiftclaw flew away from the dangers of Hyjal, she began to think of what exactly Muno had meant. Place her trust in someone other than him? There was plenty of people she trusted! There was … no she didn't really like him. Oh but there was that other … no she killed him... Who was she kidding, she didn't even trust her own warchief.

Perhaps there were some things she would have to think about on this long flight back to Feralas.


	3. Trust No One

**Author's Note:** I finally got some free time so I figured I'd work on this story some more. Those of you still reading this ridiculous thing, thank you for being patient and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**Trust No one**

The flight back to the wilds of Feralas took longer then Swiftclaw thought it would. With the extra weight of Doug on her back, it was nightfall by the time she reached the small enclave that she called home. Doug was having a hard time trying to keep himself awake, the ride from Hyjal all the way here without any stops were causing him to become exhausted and was finding it difficult to keep himself awake. His head would droop and eyelids felt like they were too heavy for him to lift. Doug's grip around Swiftclaw's neck was becoming more loose as sleep was slowly starting to take over him.

The large brown bird looked down to a small hut below made of various animal skins and straw, if she could smile, it would clearly show on her beak. She was home. She began to angle herself downward, flying towards the hut as her wingspan was held out to it's largest in her decent. Her feet lowered and soon she began flapping her wings to slow herself, landing gently on the ground. Swiftclaw's head craned to look behind her. Great, little brat was asleep.

She thought of throwing him off, she really wanted to, but Muno's words still echoed in her head. _You need to have some trust in someone other than me, okay? _That was asking so much, too much. He knew how hard it was for her, he was the only one she willingly trusted. Swiftclaw's eyes went half lidded as she turned herself to look forward. This was unnecessarily irritating.

The form of the bird shifted, changing into the large brown cat while Doug's body laid limply against her back. She rolled her eyes and walked into the hut, pushing the cloth serving as her door aside with her shoulder and into the small hut she called home. Inside it was dark, but her feline eyes gathered enough light from outside to maneuver easily around. She stopped herself next to a pile of furs, letting her body lower beside them and then arched her back, causing Doug to roll off and onto the bedding. The boy's body simply fell into the furs, giving a small grunt but remaining asleep.

Swiftclaw moved, turning her body in a circle before sitting herself down beside the boy, glaring down at him as he slept. All it would take was one move, one swipe and he would be finished and out of her hair. Muno would never have to know, just say he got lost in the wilds! The cat's paw slowly rose into the air, claws extending. Just one swipe, just one claw to the neck. That's all it would take. Swiftclaw began to bring her paw down quickly, but stopped half way as her eyes went wide.

Images flashed through her head of screams and bloodshed, the grounds of Thunderbluff stained with the blood of the innocent. Immediately her paw drew back as she shuffled herself back away from him, claws retracting into her paw. She would be no better than them, she would become the very thing she hated. Swiftclaw sighed, lowering her paw to the floor as her eyes stared down, glazing over with a look of sadness. Had she really become so bad she was willing to kill a child in their sleep?

The druid lifted her head, padding out of the hut and out into the night. She needed a place to sit, to think where she wasn't cooped up and could collect her thoughts freely.

* * *

Doug opened his eyes to the sunlight shining through the hole in the roof of the hut. Lifting an arm to block the ray of light, he squinted and slowly sat himself up. Where was he? He couldn't really remember much, just a bunch of jumbled memories that didn't make sense. His eyes drifted around the small hut, looking around to see if maybe something would jar his memory. It was small, every other corner filled with flowers, herbs, plants he had never seen before. There was a few stacks of parchments, different colored bottles of inks leaned against the wall next to them and the floor was covered in various animal furs. In the middle of the hut was a small fire pit which looked like it hadn't been used in a long time.

"Oh, I remember now. This must be where Aminaska lives." said Doug, reaching up to rub one of his eyes. He brought himself to a stand, walking unsteady towards the cloth door and slowly pulled it aside to look out. He was greeted with the sight of something beautiful. For the first time he finally saw the area that was Feralas, green as far as the eye could see, various bird calls echoed through the trees. Doug was awestruck.

"Wow..." he breathed out, walking a few steps into the green world. "This place is amazing."

"That's Feralas for you, full of trees and ruins." Swiftclaw's voice spoke from above. Doug stopped dead in his tracks, turning himself to see the large brown bird perched on a branch in a nearby tree.

"Oh! Aminaska, I didn't- OOF!" Doug began to speak, his voice quickly cut off as the bird suddenly took off and collided with him on the ground, smacking around his face with her wings.

"I said DON'T CALL ME THAT! IT'S SWIFTCLAW!" squawked the bird.

"A-Alright! I'm sorry! I forgot! Stop please it tickles!" shouted the boy, laughing out as the feathers smacked into his face. Swiftclaw fluttered back from him before cawing out, flying back up the tree to grab something she had left behind.

Clutched within her talons were a few kinds of fish. Large, small, different kinds but all seemed to be native to the nearby waters. She flew back down to the ground, throwing the fish in Doug's direction causing him to fumble to keep them in his hands since he was unprepared. Once her talons were free her form shifted, leaving herself in her normal Tauren form.

"Come on and bring them inside, I'll start the fire." grunted Swiftclaw, pushing past the cloth door and into the hut. Doug moved to follow, getting smacked in the face with the door and sputtering out before pushing into the hut.

"I thought you weren't going to feed me." he muttered out as he stood upright, arms still full of fish and his nose began to wrinkle a little at the smell. Wasn't bad, just … well fresh fish wasn't exactly a nice cologne either.

"Who said they were for you?" Swiftclaw lifted her head and grinned, looking at him with a smug expression. The boy looked between her and the bundle of fish in his arms, several times actually before he grumbled under his breath.

"Why am I holding them then?" he finally spoke, leaning his arms out and dropping the fish onto the ground. Doug made a face, using his hands to try and wipe off the slime he was sure had gathered on his arms while holding the catch.

"Because you were there. If you're gonna stay here then you're gonna pull your weight! Now you want to eat, you go get something." said Swiftclaw. She lumbered over to a corner of the hut, grabbing something that had been leaning against the wall and then bringing it over to Doug. The boy looked rattled as a bow and a quiver of arrows were thrust into his arms.

"I-I can't use these!" he sputtered out, holding the weapon awkwardly. Swiftclaw just stared at him from across the room, eyes half lidded as she watched him fail at even holding a bow.

"How you have survived this long here is beyond me. I would have thought for sure something would have killed you or eaten you by now." the large tauren spoke, turning herself around and digging for something else to toss at him. When she found it she spun around, whipping a rather flimsy looking fishing pole at him.

Doug was already busy trying to figure out the proper way to hold the bow so when the pole came flying at him he had no reaction time to catch it. It smacked into his side, the boy letting out a sharp yelp and dropped everything. Of course his reaction caused him to get an eye roll from Swiftclaw, she giving a soft grunt and moving back to the other side of the hut where she began to pick up the fish. Each one she looked over, holding it in the air before brushing off dirt or grass and then just skewered them onto a stick.

She was already placing them over the fire she had prepared when Doug's voice spoke up, causing her to cringe slightly as if his voice was like nails on the chalkboard of her mind.

"Where am I supposed to go with this? I don't even know the area I'm in." the boy spoke, lifting up the pole with one hand and then hoisted it over his shoulder.

"Just wander around a little, you'll find water eventually."

"By myself?"

Swiftclaw stared into the flames of the fire, tail twitching with irritation behind her. "What? Do I have to babysit you? Can't be left alone or you'll hurt yourself?"

"You just said there are things out there that can kill me!"

Huh, she did say that? Didn't she? Well not the exact same words but close enough. That would be bad because if he died then Muno would be upset with her and for some reason that seemed like the worst feeling in the world. Swiftclaw grit her teeth. By the Earthmother was this kid annoying. How old was he anyway? Didn't humans around his age already know how to swing a sword or use a bow?

"Alright alright fine!" she barked out. "I'll go with you but only AFTER my meal is done."

* * *

After what seemed like hours just watching Swiftclaw eat the fish as slowly as possible, Doug was finally on his way out into the wilds of Feralas. He wasn't sure what time it was but it had to be past afternoon judging by the suns positions in the sky. It was sort of odd really, he had never seen two suns from one planet before. Then again he had never been to a different planet before. He wondered how Quailman would handle such a situation, of course it would be easy for the handsome super hero. He'd just smash anything that would get in his way and finally win the girl of his dreams.

"FAT FACE!" Swiftclaw's voice suddenly jarred him from his daydreams as he jumped nearly out of his skin. He looked over to his side, staring down at the large, light tan colored cat that was glaring back up at him.

"What?!" shouted Doug, which was immediately met with a slap of a paw against his mouth.

"Quit your daydreaming and pay attention. Doing that out here will get you killed if you're not on high alert." muttered the cat, slowly removing her paw from his mouth. Doug still looked down at her as she lowered herself back to the ground, crouching low before starting to snicker under her breath. He thought about yelling at her again but thought better about it and instead leaned forward a little and whispered through his teeth.

"What's so funny?" hissed out Doug.

"You answered to 'fat face'." Swiftclaw snickered more, feline teeth bared as she clenched them together to try and keep herself silent. The boy gave a light sigh as his shoulder slumped. Was hard to imagine that THIS thing next to him could probably kill him in a second, yet here she was laughing at childish insults. Okay it was kinda funny. Was that a smile creeping onto Doug's face?

Their travel brought them to a washed out looking beach, off in the distance of the waters they could see large humanoid creatures walking the shallow oceans, giants that had scales and sea attributes. More creatures Doug didn't understand, beings that looked like they were made of water simply drifted over the sand. Then towards the far left of them Doug saw more of those purple tinted buildings, several machines lined the sides and more of the tall beings with the long ears walked the fortress. Elves were they? The two were just stepping onto the sand when Doug turned his attention to the fortress, a smile on his face.

"Hey Swiftclaw, why don't we ask them for some bait? I don't think we brought any." said Doug, starting to raise his hand to wave to a couple patrolling Night Elves. Swiftclaw's fur stood on end, her head turning quickly before her form shifted rapidly, the large brown bear with those horns in place of the cat while a large arm suddenly wrapped around his form, pulling him against her. Doug's muffled cries never reached the keen ears of the elves as the bear began lumbering awkwardly on two legs for the beach.

Leering over her shoulder, once Swiftclaw was sure they were safe she dropped Doug onto the ground, the boy gasping out for breath while he was trying to scramble to his feet.

"What the heck was that for!? Are you really that paranoid?!" he shouted, arms waving in the air above him.

"You stupid human, that is an ALLIANCE fortress!" the large bear growled out, teeth bared in a more threatening manner, enough to cause Doug to take a couple steps away from her.

"So? What's the difference? They're just like the elves at that shrine!"

"What's the difference? They would sooner kill me for being Horde and then kill you for treason! Don't go stepping into territory you're unfamiliar with, boy. I've already warned you once." growled Swiftclaw. Pressing her forehead to his, those eyes stared hard into his own before the bear pulled back and moved to sit down on the beach. Doug watched as she just plopped down into the sand, staring out over the ocean.

"Can't we just talk to them? I'm sure if we explained the situation..."

"It doesn't work that way Doug. In this world you're either on one side or the other." mumbled the bear. Instead of arguing farther Doug simply leaned down and grabbed the fishing pole, letting out a sigh and moving to her side. Maybe he could dig up some worms from the surrounding dirt.

"I think you should just be a little more trustful of other people." Doug finally said, digging down into the sand. The horned bear just glared over her shoulder at him, a long pause of silence was held and finally with that gruff voice, Doug heard her speak in a tone that didn't seem annoyed or hateful.

"You don't trust anyone after what I have gone through." said Swiftclaw. Pulling a worm out from the sand, Doug looked over at her, curiosity written over his features.

"What you've gone through? What happened?"

"It was a year ago. My home was in Thunderbluff then."

* * *

The sun was shining brightly over the plains of Mulgore. Like it always had, it brought a sort of peace to the land and to those that lived upon it. Aminaska smiled and looked to the skies as she brought her hand up to block the light from her eyes. Where was he? Late as always huh? The Tauren laughed lightly to herself as she thought of her friend trying to scramble to make it on time. The clopping of hooves caught her attention though and she turned to look down the path worn into the dirt, watching a large black furred male Tauren running towards her.

"Suhaloh, you're late again." Aminaska laughed, reaching out to grab his hands as he made a last awkward step towards her.

"I apologize Ami, I lost track of time." said the dark furred male, smiling bashfully as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Tell that to Alle, not me." Staring back at him, Aminaska just shook her head and then began pulling him towards a small village not far from where they were. Bloodhoof village was teeming with activity today, several Tauren were gathered at one of the large tents where inside seemed to be a celebration of sorts. Aminaska pushed her way through as she pulled Suhaloh behind her, coming up to a group of three Tauren sitting around a fire. Two light furred Tauren, male and female, were smiling down at a much smaller Tauren, a child who was busy pulling apart a paper wrapped present.

Lifting her head, the calf looked up to Aminaska and Suhaloh, her eyes lightly up as she jumped to her feet and rushed to them both, wrapping her arms around their legs.

"Happy Birthday Alle! Look who came to visit you on your special day!" said Aminaska, practically beaming as her little sister was already climbing up the male's body to greet him.

"Suhaloh! I thought you weren't coming!" Alle shouted, resting on his arm as he held it up.

"You know I wouldn't miss your birthday for the world." he spoke, grinning before taking his knuckles and playfully grinding them into the top of the young tauren's head.

"We are all glad you could make it." The elder female spoke as she stood, bowing her head down to him while the male at her side nodded with a grunt.

"It's no problem really, Elder Swiftclaw." said Suhaloh with a laugh. "Now, don't let me hold up the celebration!"

Watching them with pride, Aminaska smiled as the group gathered around the fire. Today seemed like the perfect day to ask … maybe she should? Ah but what should she say? How would she approach him with such a serious question? She didn't have much time to contemplate on that subject before she felt a hand on her shoulder, she turning to see one of the Plainswalkers nodding his head to her.

"Swiftclaw, I'm sorry to take you from your family at this time but you're needed on a scouting mission." said the male. A frown formed on the female's muzzle as she turned herself fully to face him.

"Now? Why now? It's my sister's birthday!"

"Suspicious activity has been reported and we need our top scouts on it. I promise we'll be back by morning."

Aminaska sighed, nodding her head before turning and once again pushing her way through the crowd to come up to her family. Explaining to them her situation, it took Suhaloh to pry Alle from her. The dark furred Tauren just smiled at the druid, shaking his head as he held the calf in his arms.

"She will be fine, I promise. Go before you are late yourself." he said with a grin. Aminaska smiled, a look that meant so much more and she didn't have the time or words to say it. She quickly nodded and ducked out behind the crowds before anything else could be said.

That night Aminaska had an uneasy feeling. The large cat prowled with several other druids and Plainswalkers while they carried out their scouting mission. They were to meet up with another Horde party and go from there, but she just had a feeling something wasn't right. It had been putting her on edge all evening. She must have been putting off a feeling because she felt that same hand from earlier in the day rest on her shoulder to calm her.

"Swiftclaw, you have been tense ever since we got out here. What troubles you?"

"Something is not right..." said the cat, looking up to her comrade. The two fell silent as the party came to a stop, everyone looking to the night sky to a figure flying in the distance. A large bird, much like the ones that the druids could turn into flew down towards them, quickly transforming and landing hard on the ground on large hooves.

"Thunderbluff! Under … attack!" the messenger gasped out.

"Alle!" Aminaska eyes went wide, the uneasiness, the feeling of worry, she had been right all along! She didn't waist time, didn't wait for farther instructions. The cat's form quickly shifted into a large brown bird and took off into the sky, wings flapping hard in a desperate attempt to reach Thunderbluff in time.

By the time she had arrived the bluff was under chaos. Fires were raging, Tauren were being taken down left and right. However there didn't seem to be any Alliance like she was expecting. Tauren fighting … other Tauren? Grimtotem! They were revolting?! But why?! She didn't have time to settle on it. She had to find Alle and her parents. Had to make sure Suhaloh was alright! The large bird flew down into the bluff, dodging flying arrows and fighting, trying to find her home among the wreckage.

The hut was on fire! Aminaska swooped into the doorway, wings kicking up dust for the few seconds she spent in the tent as a bird. Her body quickly shifted out into her Tauren form, the shock on her face was all she could express at the sight before her. Blood mixed with the dirt of the floor, her mother and father murdered in their sleep by cuts to the throat. She was shaking, eyes wide and tears threatening to spill as her head quickly whipped around.

"ALLE! ALLE WHERE ARE YOU?!" A proper ceremony for the death of her parents would have to wait. Too much chaos and she had to find Alle before it was too late! Again her form shifted, the swiftness of her cat form would help her navigate quickly. All she needed to do was make sure her sister was alright, make sure HE was alright. Ducking under objects and moving behind buildings, she brought her nose to the air. Through the blood and smoke she could smell Alle. She just had to follow that scent.

Aminaska moved fast, sliding to a stop within a tent. "Alle! Are you- NO!"

Holding onto the lifeless body, Suhaloh frowned and looked up to her. Eyes full of tears, he held the child against his chest as he looked up to Aminaska. His head slowly shook and he stood, head bowed low as he began to speak.

"I am sorry Ami, I tried everything. I couldn't stop them and … they got her." he said, his voice full of grief.

"Alle! Alle no!" The cat shook her head, once more turning into her Tauren form and running up to them to take the calf from him. She buried her head into it, wailing out as her ears folded back. Suhaloh just watched, his expression hardly changed as he watched her sobbing into the body of her younger sister. Should he have been quicker to act? The large male slowly stood, moving towards Ami as he placed his arms around her, eyes closed as he spoke.

"I am sorry, Aminaska."

Ami looked up a little, mouth opening to speak before she was stopped dead in her tracks, eyes widened and then lowered to look down. Through her chest a sword had been plunged through, the blade had not only gone through her, but Alle's body as well. Aminaska couldn't move, breathing? What was that? Her eyes just quickly darted to Suhaloh as he stood back, giving that kind smile to her as he had always done.

"The Grimtotem tribe does not have room for those of weakness. You will thank me when you have joined our ancestors." he spoke, his voice genuine as he quickly pulled the sword from her back and started to leave. His work was finished.

"S-Suha … haloh! HOW COULD-!" the druid wailed out, she pushing Alle's body aside as she fell forward to the ground next to it. The world was going dark, she couldn't figure out how to preserve her strength because all of it was going into the anger and hurt she felt. The man she loved … never loved her at all, betrayed her. Aminaska finally closed her eyes, the world around her fading out, but her ear gave a small flick at the sound of a voice, someone calling to her as she was letting go.

"Quick! In here! She's still alive! Come on, don't give up. Stay with us!"

"Muno I will get the medics at once, we're receiving reinforcements as soon as we can!"

"Stop wasting time and get them then! Don't let this light go out!"

* * *

Doug had been listening intently the entire time she retold the tale. Such horror she had gone through, her whole family … the one she loved. Swiftclaw stared at the ground now in silence, tears falling down over the fur of her face. The two didn't look at each other, and the silence between them was almost deafening until one of them finally spoke to break it.

"I'm sorry Swiftclaw. I don't even know how I would-" Doug began to speak, but was cut off when she brought her head up, glaring at him with the eyes of a beast who looked like she was ready to kill him on the spot.

"Of course you wouldn't know how to react!" the large bear growled out. "I bet your planet is nice and peaceful! Nothing bad ever happens there right? No one is ever taken away from you? It's not that way here Funnie! This whole PLANET is constantly at war, if it's not the Alliance fighting us, it's our own people, it's the Burning Legion! The massive armies of undead! Even the earth it's self rises up to fight in defiance!

"Maybe this place you come from is pretty safe, but you're not here! No one is safe, no one can be trusted and those that can? They are extremely rare."

Doug remained silent on that note, turning his head to look out over the water. He was acting like he had been scolded for something, and suddenly that look of anger held on the bear's face vanished, replaced with a look of determination. Swiftclaw stood up, moving over closer to him as she stared. _Listen to Muno, start with this little brat. _Doug's head turned to look over at her, surprised to see the bear's face right up in his own and gave a slight yelp as he fell backwards and scrambled backwards along the ground.

"Do you even know how to fight?" asked Swiftclaw.

"U-Uh … I can throw a punch?" Doug answered.

"That's not fighting, that's being a wuss. You can't even hold a bow properly." she sighed out and soon the bear stood, form changing into her tauren form. She walked past him, reaching down and grabbing him by the collar of his dress shirt and began dragging him back up the beach, making sure to steer clear of the Night Elf stronghold.

"Wuh! Hey let go! Where are we going?! What about the fish?" the boy choked out, grabbing onto his shirt collar to pull it away from his neck while he was being dragged.

"You're not gonna stay with me if you can't even defend yourself. If you even meet anyone that doesn't like you, you're gonna be good as dead. We're gonna make a man out of you, Funnie."

"A-A what?! Swiftclaw! What?!"


End file.
